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CARLSBAD - They've always been with us, so it would seem that Carlsbad is way ahead of the trend that has folks in other cities all agog at ... the moustache.

That's right, Eddy County, they seem to be excited about the moustache, the cookie duster, the lip ornament sported by cowboys and drillers, lawyers and bankers all over southeast New Mexico.

On Christmas Eve, one of the Mosaic employees who were delivering gifts to local families in need was sporting a fine example of the popular facial hair.

Tommy Vasquez is an old hand when it comes to the moustache - he's had his since "probably the 9th grade," with one brief hiatus, that is.

"The only time I shaved it off was my senior year in high school," Vasquez said.

It was an ultimatum from his mother that removed the moustache.

"She said she wouldn't buy my senior pictures unless I shaved," he recalled.

His mom got the photos she wanted, and the moustache was back to stay shortly thereafter.

Wife Hilda Vasquez said that, after 20 years together, she is quite accustomed to the moustache.

In work places all around Carlsbad, a wide variety of facial hair can be seen, with the moustache as a major part.

At a local law office, attorney Justin Raines has a moustache that now is a part of a full beard. He's had it since law school.

"I'm a fan of facial hair," he said, and he has experimented with different styles, including a handlebar back in May.

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He credits the "hipster" culture for the recent moustache trend that has swept the country.

In larger cities like Las Cruces, for example, moustache paraphernalia has been popping up on the shelves in shops and boutiques. But Carlsbad seems to be more laid back when it comes to marketing such items.

At Hastings Books, Music and Videos on Pierce Street, manager Donald Samaniego pointed to a couple of displays with items like stick-on moustaches.

They are selling pretty well right now, Samaniego said, especially during the holiday when they make great gag gifts and stocking stuffers. One item, he noted, was a magnetic moustache for an automobile, which is sold out.

Moustaches all around

Of three young men behind the counter at a Carlsbad theater Saturday night, one was mustachioed while two were clean-shaven.

Bryan Trone said his facial hair has been with him for five years or so. Maybe that's the reason his "moustache" now covers a fair portion of his lower face.

Trone says he has tried a lot of different looks vis-a-vis facial hair, including the moustache plus mutton chops, handlebars and the toothbrush - think Charlie Chaplin.

"I love it," Trone declares.

Facial hair is also favored by a couple of local judges.

One outstanding moustache is worn by District Court Judge Richard Brown. Preparing to retire and move to New Zealand, Brown could not be reached for comment, but his handlebar is recognized throughout the area - whether on the bench or on the street.

Moustaches can even be a rallying point for a cause. Each November, the worldwide Movember effort invites men to grow a 'stache to "raise vital awareness and funds for men's health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives."

Some moustaches are so famous that no images are necessary: a name will suffice to bring the particular 'stache to the mind's eye.

Consider the list of "Top 10 Most Famous Moustaches" online at TopTenz.net: Fu Manchu, Tom Selleck, Adolf Hitler, Groucho Marx, Yosemite Sam, Gene Shalit, Charlie Chaplin, baseball's Rollie Fingers, artist Salvador Dali, and someone whose moustache is more famous than his name - Badamsinh Juwansinh Gurjarhis, who spent 22 years growing a 12.5-foot-long moustache in an attempt to set a world record.

Derrickson Moore of the Las Cruces Sun-News contributed to this report.